Chapter 3: As the sun rises over the Black Bird, the azure sea unfolds...
As the sun rises, the azure sea is bathed in a flowing golden light, and bright orange light fills the entire sky, illuminating the path for officials on their way to meet Qin Shi Huang.
The chief astronomer, Hu Wujing, discreetly observed the scene. The one on the left was a scholar, while the one behind him was not wearing official robes. His robes were loose and he had an air of otherworldly elegance, clearly a Taoist sorcerer.
The Grand Astrologer withdrew his gaze, wondering why His Majesty wanted to see him. The site selection for Langya Terrace was complete, and the sea sacrifice had already been performed. Could it be that His Majesty wanted to discuss the Fengshan ceremony again? But those who deserved punishment had already been punished, and His Majesty was not the kind of ruler who would bring up old grievances.
When the Grand Astrologer was racking his brains but couldn't come up with a solution, he heard a clear young voice call out to him: "Grand Astrologer, His Majesty requests your presence."
The Grand Historian looked up and saw a tall, handsome young man. In the Qin Dynasty, black was the dominant color, and officials primarily wore black robes; the same robes made the young man appear exceptionally tall and dashing.
There are few people so young and handsome in the imperial court, and the Grand Historian recognized him immediately.
It is Meng Yi.
The second son of the Meng family.
The Grand Historian followed Meng Yi into the palace, marveling at the immense favor the Meng family had received from the Emperor. His eldest son, Meng Tian, had joined the army and was now a general guarding the north against the Xiongnu.
The second son served Emperor Qinshihuang closely and received great favor; his future appeared bright and promising.
When Meng Yi met His Majesty, His Majesty did not ask him to leave.
"Last night, I had a dream." The First Emperor stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sea and sky merging into one.
The Grand Astrologer's expression turned solemn, thinking to himself that His Majesty's mood sounded rather good.
"I dreamt that a black bird entered my dream. What does this mean?"
The Grand Historian served as an official for over a decade, witnessing the transformation of the Qin Dynasty and Ying Zheng's ascension to the throne. He knew that the emperor before him dared to do what others dared not, displaying remarkable domineering decisiveness. His magnanimity and demeanor were also among the best of all Qin rulers throughout history, and the Grand Historian was not worried about being punished for his words.
Recalling the celestial phenomena of the previous night, the Grand Astrologer carefully observed, "Your Majesty, last night I observed the stars and found that the Antares constellation was unusually bright, and a comet passed through the Willow constellation. This corresponds to the Black Bird in Your Majesty's dream, which should be an auspicious omen."
"...The Qin dynasty favors the color black, which is associated with the element of water. I believe that water overcomes fire, which is a sign of the fire element of the Zhou dynasty during the Qin dynasty. The black bird that appeared in Your Majesty's dream is a sign of Your Majesty's benevolence and power."
The First Emperor neither agreed nor disagreed. After listening to the Grand Astrologer's interpretation of the dream of the black bird, he asked the Grand Astrologer a few more questions about his official duties.
Meng Yi had already invited in the waiting scholars and led the Grand Historian, who had finished his audience with the emperor, out. Meng Yi looked up and noticed that the First Emperor's expression held a mixture of surprise and excitement.
Meng Yi suspected he was seeing things and was about to take another look when the First Emperor suddenly turned around. The First Emperor's gaze was as sharp as a hawk's. Meng Yi lowered his head and heard the First Emperor ask the same question again.
The scholar began by analyzing the characters: "Your Majesty, the *Shang Song* says: 'Heaven ordained a dark bird to descend and give birth to Shang.' The character 'dark' corresponds to the formless and mysterious heaven, while the character 'bird' resembles an imperial messenger carrying an edict. The dark bird entering Your Majesty's dream is a sign of the virtue of water. Your Majesty should strengthen your resolve and resolve, and make all decisions according to the law. Your Majesty is a sage king. That's why we wrote 'Beasts breed, and all living things devour each other' on the Langya Stone Inscription. The dark bird then entered Your Majesty's dream. Isn't this 'virtue encompassing both birds and beasts'?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Yi remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he smiled.
He appears to be a Legalist scholar.
The Confucian scholars were furious, their anger stemming from the irreconcilable differences between the feudal system and His Majesty's ideals. The Legalists, on the other hand, were much more diplomatic.
Like Li Si.
The First Emperor did not comment on the scholars' interpretation of the characters, but instead focused on another matter: "Has the content of the stone inscription been agreed upon?"
"Your Majesty, it is not yet complete. There are still some aspects that need to be discussed."
"Yes, the inscription will still be written by Li Si."
Last year, the Qin Dynasty unified the writing system of the six states. Li Si, who was promoted to prime minister, organized and standardized the original Qin writing system, creatively simplified the characters and standardized their structure, and wrote the "Cangjie Pian", making great contributions to the unification of the Qin writing system.
Although Zhao Gao, the Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office, and Hu Wujing, the Grand Historian, also wrote the "Yuanli Pian" and "Boxue Pian" in Small Seal script respectively, Li Si was the highest-level official calligrapher in the Qin Dynasty.
The two previous commemorative stone inscriptions, such as the "Mount Tai Stone Inscription" and the "Mount Yi Stone Inscription," were written by Li Si, and the upcoming "Langya Stone Inscription" will also be written by him.
The First Emperor glanced at Meng Yi, who knew the emperor didn't want to hear any more, and gestured for the scholar to leave.
The First Emperor gazed at the rising orange-red sun in the distance and suddenly asked, "Minister Meng, do you consider this an auspicious omen?"
"Yes. Your subject believes it to be an auspicious omen." Meng Yi had served the First Emperor for many years, and his devotion to the emperor's decisions was always one of worship and obedience. Unlike his elder brother Meng Tian, he had read many books by various schools of thought and had his own interpretation of the First Emperor's dream: "Birds entering a dream is an auspicious sign. Perhaps there are guests waiting for Your Majesty in a distant place."
Three people in a row said that the black bird they dreamed of last night was an auspicious omen. The First Emperor did not show it on his face, but he was happy in his heart. He looked thoughtful and pondered, "My dreams were not only filled with black birds."
Meng Yi couldn't guess what the First Emperor was thinking at this moment. He simply waited respectfully for the First Emperor to come out of his reverie.
"Very well, bring that Taoist alchemist up here. There are some things that I must verify myself."
"only."
Meng Yi disliked magic arts, elixirs of immortality, and alchemists. He believed that his emperor was wise and powerful, and that it was these people's silver tongues that had deceived him, making his emperor listen to them.
Meng Yi was known for his integrity and strict enforcement of the law. Zhao Gao had committed a serious crime and fell into Meng Yi's hands. Meng Yi sentenced Zhao Gao to death according to the law. However, the First Emperor appreciated Zhao Gao's talent and pardoned him.
Although Zhao Gao survived, he incurred the wrath of Meng Yi. Meng Yi, however, didn't take it to heart; in his view, it was simply upholding the law and fulfilling his duty. Zhao Gao, because the Emperor had survived, felt even more obligated to serve him. They fought for the Emperor and for the Qin Dynasty; what did a little enmity matter?
Therefore, the upright Meng Shangqing was kind to Zhao Gao, who served in the same court, but showed no mercy to the charlatan who was almost a swindler.
Even if the other party looks like a crane with a slender frame, unlike an ordinary person.
Meng Yi listened calmly and expressionlessly as the alchemist, who called himself Xu Fu, began to persuade the First Emperor. He thought to himself, "This alchemist had better not reveal anything in front of her. Otherwise, once His Majesty discards this alchemist like trash, I'll definitely teach them a lesson."
"...Long ago, King Mu rode eight steeds to seek the Jade Pool, and what he obtained was not only longevity, but also the divine book 'The True Form of Mountains and Peaks' bestowed upon him by the Queen Mother of the West. This is the art of dragon-riding. I, a humble commoner, have spent my days searching for traces of immortals in the sea, passing through countless mirages, and finally saw three divine mountains in the sea. Within these mountains, I was fortunate enough to peruse the divine book. And within these mountains lies the elixir of immortality; consuming it grants eternal life..."
Xu Fu presented a giant pearl. He claimed it was a treasure bestowed upon him by immortals in the three sacred mountains of Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou. He said he had stayed in the sacred mountains for more than a month before returning home after obtaining the pearl.
Now I present it to Your Majesty.
The First Emperor was very interested and asked Xu Fu a few more questions about the Three Divine Mountains. Xu Fu answered fluently, and the First Emperor's eyes lit up with admiration.
Meng Yi, who prided himself on his superior family background and having seen countless rare treasures, and having served the First Emperor for many years, had already broadened his horizons considerably. Yet, he had never seen a pearl of such size, let alone one with a vermilion-like blush. Meng Yi could only marvel at how well-prepared this man was.
Recalling his dream from the previous night, Ying Zheng suppressed his excitement and looked at Xu Fu, who was prostrate on the ground, through his crown, with great interest: "Oh? Then how can I obtain the elixir of immortality?"
Xu Fu thought to himself that he was confident, but he didn't show it on his face at all, still maintaining his superior demeanor: "If one's heart is not sincere, it is not enough for the immortals of the three sacred mountains of Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou to bestow upon him the elixir of immortality."
The First Emperor pressed further, "What should be done?"
Xu Fu raised his head, the emperor's shadow elongated in the morning light, and with his movement, the emperor's shadow fell onto Xu Fu's hand. Everyone has weaknesses, and the First Emperor's weakness was his desire for immortality. Xu Fu suddenly tucked his hands into his sleeves, clenched his fists to suppress the urge to tremble, and took a barely perceptible deep breath.
Whether he could win fame, fortune, or immense wealth depended on whether he could impress the First Emperor. Xu Fu opened his mouth again and uttered the words he had practiced countless times in private: "Your Majesty, please grant me 1,500 boys and girls, three warships, and three years' worth of food, clothing, medicine, and farming tools. I am willing to risk my life again to go to the Three Divine Mountains to seek the elixir of immortality for Your Majesty!"
As for why it would take three years, Xu Fu had already subtly expressed in his conversation with the First Emperor that the sacred mountain was difficult to find. Even though he had gone there once, the sea conditions were unpredictable, and mirages were numerous, so he could not guarantee that he would find the sacred mountain on his first try.
Meng Yi frowned, but refrained from rebutting because the Emperor remained silent. He simply thought to himself, "This man is really asking for an exorbitant price." He kept his eyes fixed on the First Emperor, determined to faithfully carry out his orders regardless of the Emperor's consent.
Meng Yi suddenly realized something was wrong. The First Emperor looked excited, but not excited about finding a way to achieve immortality.
The First Emperor remained silent after listening, his expression quite intriguing. He stared intently at Xu Fu, making the previously confident Xu Fu extremely uncomfortable, even wondering if he had given himself away.
Xu Fu's knees buckled, and he almost knelt down to beg for mercy.
At that moment, the First Emperor suddenly burst into laughter.
No one in the entire palace dared to ask the First Emperor the reason, and his hearty laughter echoed inside and outside the palace. It was as if only the First Emperor was alive inside the palace; even if the others were experiencing turmoil in their hearts, they remained as silent as statues.
At this moment, the First Emperor felt that Heaven was blessing the Qin Dynasty! The Mandate of Heaven was on his side!
Even though Ying Zheng was a deep and composed man, he couldn't help but be overwhelmed by joy and excitement.
Because everything that happened today, including his conversation with the Grand Historian, the Doctor, and Xu Fu, had already entered his dream last night with the Black Bird!
He dreamed not only of the black bird, but also of what would happen the next day.
The First Emperor had initially thought it was just a simple dream, never imagining that Heaven would be so kind to him. Thinking of this, the First Emperor paced back and forth with exhilaration. He believed this was deserved, a reward for unifying the six kingdoms.
He looked at Xu Fu, who seemed to have a connection to the divine. Moreover, Xu Fu's conversation with him was exactly the same as what he had said in his dream.
Could it be that Heaven wants to use Xu Fu to deliver the elixir of immortality to him?
The First Emperor pondered, a strange look on his face, his tone filled with excitement and exhilaration: "Meng Yi, this matter is entrusted to you. You must fulfill the conditions proposed by Master Xu as soon as possible."
While everyone was still stunned, Meng Yizhong, despite having countless questions and guesses, responded to the First Emperor as quickly as possible: "Yes."
He glanced at Xu Fu, who was sweating profusely but trying to remain calm, then looked at the First Emperor. A different light gradually ignited in Meng Yi's eyes. The last time he had seen His Majesty so excited was when the six kingdoms were unified.
Is the emperor he serves about to return to his peak?
A note from the author:
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There is some debate regarding the exact date of Li Si's appointment as prime minister, and the inscription on the Mount Tai stone mentioned in the article also contains the phrase "Prime Minister Li Si". Taking all factors into consideration, this article adopts the date of his appointment as prime minister in 221 BC, the year the six states were unified.
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